LOCAL >Police hunt number-one Sierra suspect: Governor confirms

Istanbul Gov. Hüseyin Avni Mutlu confirmed the reports regarding a runaway suspect that was being sought by the Turkish police.

“Our security forces are intensively conducting searches outside of Istanbul; when he is found, clear answers will emerge,” Mutlu said today in Istanbul.

Sarai Sierra was murdered with a brick blow to the head, while lead suspect Ziya T. was caught on city cameras selling Sierra’s jacket in a secondhand bazaar after the murder, Turkish police have revealed.

The police said a blood tainted brick was found around the city walls and the blood on it matched Sierra’s blood sample, daily Sabah reported today.

The U.S. citizen went missing in Istanbul in Jan. 21 and her dead body was found on Feb 2. Police have been searching for suspects since then.

The search has come to focus on a homeless man, identified as Ziya T. who is thought to have fled to the southern province of Hatay.

Ziya T. was seen walking from the railway through a secondhand bazaar in Eminönü, where he sold Sierra’s jacket, according to Sabah. He then headed to the district of Harem with the money before leaving Istanbul.

Thirty-three-year old Sarai Sierra was found bludgeoned to death near Istanbul’s ancient city walls on Feb. 2, 10 days after her family said they had lost contact with the lone tourist.

Forty-six-year old Ziya T. is said to be “unstable,” and makes a living selling trash paper.